Cruising with Crew on RC Wings

Wednesday, February 15, 2017

We had a lovely, relaxing breakfast and then sailed in light winds to the Customs Office at Jost Van Dyke.  Once we had cleared into the BVIs, we motored over to Little Jost Van Dyke.  Our usual anchorage in Manchioneel Bay was full, so we found a new spot in East End Harbour.

We dinghied to shore, but it was so shallow that I got out and pulled the other three (as if they were sitting in their little red wagon) to shore.  We tied the dinghy to a tree and walked about a quarter mile to Foxy's Taboo Restaurant.  After a delicious lunch, we walked to the Bubbly Pool where water was pounding through the rocks (about every tenth wave) and making a lovely, refreshing bubbly pool.

After we hiked back and dinghied to the boat, we decided to lift anchor and move to Brewers Bay for the night.  Bad idea.  When we were almost there, the northern ground swells started rolling in and I could envision a very rolly night.  We turned around and headed back to Little Jost Van Dyke where we found a crowded anchorage in Manchioneel Bay.  I got up several times in the night to check our position and the boats around us.   No one seemed to be dragging their anchor, so we were just fine.

Thursday, February 16, 2017

This morning we sailed on a close reach to Marina Cay in a light wind.  Once we had anchored in our favourite spot near the reef, we went in snorkelling.  This spot has the most amazingly, perfect specimens of brain coral and purple fan coral.  I also saw two puffer fish, several parrot fish, blue tangs, and zebra fish.

Later, we dinghied over to Scrub Island Resort for drinks and a walk around, then returned to the boat.  Once the sun set, we dinghied to Pussers on the tiny island of Marina Cay and had a very expensive, not so great, meal. On the way back, a trumpet fish jumped out of the water ahead of the dinghy.  I love watching the wonders of nature everywhere we turn.


Friday, February 17, 2017

At 10:15 am, we motored all the way from the east end of Tortola to the west end, Jo at the helm, to Soper's Hole.  It took us about two and a half hours, which gave me lots of time to plan our route back to Florida, via Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, the Turks and Caicos, and the Bahamas.  Carey pointed out all of the sights (three cruise ships in Road Town, Nanny Cay Marina where we first stopped on arrival to the BVIs, and the fort on Buck Island).

Once we arrived in Soper's Hole, we were chagrined to find no available mooring balls.  Aaarrrrgggghhhh!  We dropped anchor in 55 feet of water (not ideal), and figured we'd have to leave before nightfall.  Carey, Jo, and Craig jumped into the dinghy and took our laundry over to our favourite laundress, at Divine Laundry. Truly, she does a divine job (and saves us from the heat of the laundromat).  When they returned, I had lunch ready for them--gourmet KD florentine and wieners, topped with salsa.  It was a big hit.

Before Carey had quite finished his lunch, a mooring ball opened up just ahead.  We quickly lifted anchor and scooped it up before anyone else could get it.   Carey finished his lunch, Craig took a nap, and Jo and I read our books for a restful afternoon.

Later, we dinghied over to the dock, sauntered around, window shopped, and then picked up our laundry by 5:00.  All clean and folded.  Gotta love it.



Saturday, February 18, 2017

Breakfast was a disaster at D'Best Cup.  It was race day, so we should have guessed that it would be crowded.  Our order was very slooooow to arrive, and Jo and Craig had to ask to get theirs (several minutes after ours had arrived), and then both of our bills were wrong.  When I told the waitress that her calculations were wrong the second time, she asked me to figure it out and to tell her what the total should be.  So much for D'Best Cup.

After clearing out at Customs, we left Soper's Hole for the last time.  Jo took the helm part way and sailed us to Benures Bay.

Once there, we had some lunch and then Craig went in snorkelling.  He was impressed, so Jo and I went in, too. Best snorkelling ever!  I saw a crab, the body of which was almost as big as my outstretched hand, hanging onto a large frond of purple fan coral.  As well, there were Blueheaded Wrasses, Fairy Basslets, a Highhat with its tall black fin coming out of the top of its head, several types of Grunts, Sergeant Majors, Parrotfish, and many different types of Angelfish, including the Foureye Butterflyfish.  Wow!  Jo also spotted a large tarpon.  We were so glad we had gone in.  (Can you tell I bought a card with pics and the names of Caribbean fish?)  It's nice to know what we're looking at.



Sunday, February 19, 2017

We left Benures Bay at 10:00, and Jo motored us toward Lameshur Bay (with a light wind directly on our stern).  By 10:15, we had a ten knot wind, so we put up the sails on a broad reach.  Jo sailed us all the way there, with Craig helping us gybe. Upon arrival at Lameshur Bay,  Jo stayed on the helm, took us into the bay, and motored to the mooring ball, where Craig picked up the pennant and tied us to the ball.  Great job by both of them!

After a homemade pizza lunch, I was relaxing in the cockpit and saw a dinner plate sized stingray jump out of the water.  So awesome!

Later, we all went snorkelling.  Jo saw a squirrelfish, a school of blue tangs, a banded butterfly fish, and a porcupine fish.  I saw a turtle buried in the sand, a slinky black eel, a stingray, and a flounder that laid flat on a rock and seemed to totally disappear, it was so well camouflaged.  There are tons of turtles and long-spined sea urchins in this bay, too.  Nature is truly amazing.



Monday, February 20, 2017

Last night Jo mixed up a batch of homemade bread, so we enjoyed that for breakfast. Always yummy.

Jo sailed us all the way to Cruz Bay, and Craig worked the sails. Usually our guests leave just after we have trained them for a week, but Jo and Craig are staying, so they'll be able to take over and Carey and I can put our feet up!

We had lunch at the Ocean Grill, our favourite spot in Cruz Bay.  You know we've been there a few times when the waiter greets us like old friends. Haha. Afterward, we walked to the Starfish Market for provisions.  I estimated it at about a quarter mile away, Carey estimated it at about a half mile, and Craig said it felt more like 2 miles.  We never did measure it, but we needed the exercise, however long it was.

After we bought out the store, we walked back the quarter mile, half mile, or two mile stretch.  During the walk back, a gust of wind grabbed my hat from behind, flipping it off my head.  It went rolling down the street--the classic Three Stooges act--the hat stopping and then flipping away every time I bent to pick it up.  Two cars stopped to avoid running it over.  Finally, Craig was able to snag it out of the middle of the street.  Crisis averted, hat on head, chin strap tight, we resumed our short long walk.

After dinghying back to the boat, Jo and I stowed the provisions until Carey came down to report a  black cloud moving in and suggested we hustle to get out of there.  We lifted anchor, and motored out, trying to avoid several dinghies, motor boats, and ferries that were all coming in at the same time. Just outside the bay, Jo spotted two dolphins!  I couldn't believe it!  I've been looking for dolphins in vain the whole time I've been in the Virgin Islands!  Of course, one finally appears when I'm trying to avoid crazy boat traffic and there's a storm on the way. Sheesh!

Just outside of Cruz Bay the skies opened up. We had a torrential downpour.  Jo said it was intense.  I had my eyes peeled for other boats and could barely see.  Carey, Jo, and I were soaked to the skin within minutes.  Craig had retreated to the comfort of our salon belowdecks. He stayed dry, smart guy.  Craig said it was nice, because he was inside.  'There's no reason for the cabin boy to get wet,' he said.  He did his inside duties while down there, i.e., vacuuming, etc.

We arrived at Great Harbor (the Ritz' bay) just after four o'clock and anchored.  The sun came up, we dried out, and we relaxed before dinner.



Tuesday, February 21, 2017

Jo made us a delicious omelette with bacon and toast for breakfast.  After breakfast, though, we realized we had run out of water.  The sink full of dirty dishes had to sit there for a while.  Ugh.  Just then, a young Canadian guy came over from another boat.  He had noticed that we were fellow Canadians, so he came over for a chat. Martin (S/Y Blush) was extremely knowledgeable about batteries and lots of local knowledge stuff so we picked his brain--for about three hours!  It was after 1:00 by the time he left.

We decided to go to Red Hook for the night, fuel up, fill our water tanks, and investigate the purchase of a Honda or Yamaha generator to recharge the batteries while cruising (without having to go to a dock).

Docking at American Yacht Harbor was its usual treat. This is a ridiculous dock.  We have to lasso the spiles at the bow while backing up to a high dock.  It's very difficult to make a graceful landing.  However, we eventually got in and got tied up.   By then it was after two o'clock, so we celebrated by going to the Tap and Still for burgers and fresh cut fries.

Later, we bought oil for our oil change, dropped off our laundry, and signed into the marina. We relaxed on the boat and had a late dinner before bed.



Wednesday, February 22, 2017

This morning, Carey and I took the Safari Taxi to Charlotte Amalie.  It's an open air, covered truck and people get on and off along the route.  When people get on, they say, "Good morning" and the rest of us reply in kind. It's a lovely custom.  We went by the K-Mart, Home Depot, and lots of small markets and establishments.  The whole ride was only $2 per person. What a deal!

When we got to town we walked to Offshore Marine, where we bought some parts for our diesel engine.  We also looked at a generator to keep our batteries in good shape, but they didn't have a suitable one.  While there, we got chatting to another boater, Chris Matthews.  He gave us lots of information about cruising through the Dominican Republic and offered to drive us back into the centre of town.  Boaters are the friendliest people!

We stopped at a large straw market, had lunch at Fat Turtle, and caught another Safari Taxi back to Red Hook.  This time, the cab was $10 each!  Go figure. This is so typical here.  The price varies depending on who you are (they thought we were cruise ship people, I'm sure) and who they are and how big their mortgage is or how many kids they have to feed.  Oh, well, it's part of the life here.

While we were gone, Jo and Craig spent hours cleaning the boat, inside and out.  They also picked up the laundry and a few more provisions, and paid for another night at the marina.  So nice!

Now it was time for Carey and I to get to work. It was engine maintenance day.  We changed the oil and oil filter, changed the fuel filter, inspected the impeller, adjusted the alternator V belt, and drained the water/fuel separator.  This doesn't sound like too long of a list, but we have to practically tear the boat apart to get to the areas we need.

By the time we were done, we were all starving.  Craig made Sloppy Joes and I cut up some veggies for a late dinner.  After Craig and Jo went to bed, Carey and I did the dishes, remade our entire bed (including storing the canvas screens flat under the mattress), and had showers.  It was midnight before we got to bed.  We were tired out!


Thursday, February 23, 2017

This morning, we had a few more things to do before we could leave Red Hook. We topped off the water tanks, bought a few more provisions, bought more rust inhibitor spray, and cleaned up breakfast dishes.  Everyone pitched in, as usual.

Leaving the dock was lots of fun, as usual at these docks, but we managed it with Carey on the helm. He handed it over to me moments later, and then it started to rain.  The other three threw the cushions down below and scuttled after them, leaving me in the rain.  No use everyone getting wet!  Carey and Jo got me a hat and raincoat, so I was fine.  The rain stopped very soon after and we motored to Charlotte Amalie.  We need to clear out at Customs and refill our propane tanks, then it's off to Honeymoon Bay on Water Island for the night.

Funny Sights

Sometimes we see some things that make us chuckle. 

Here's a pic of a dinghy that someone is actually still driving around. 

This other pic is what I saw when I peeked into a restaurant kitchen. The specials were wahoo and mahi mahi. Recognize it?  Haha.  

Battery Woes

Monday, February 6, 2017

Nazareth Bay was very rolly last night, but it was nice to spend the day with Gail and Jeff at their resort. Carey slept in a bit.  We had a leisurely breakfast and motored over to Christmas Cove at 11:10.

We had several tasks we wanted to accomplish today, so this was a work day.  Christmas Cove is much flatter, so it was easier to work there.

We emptied and defrosted the fridge, checked the manuals for the broiler and windlass chain counter, and did some engine maintenance.

Later on, we moved to Cowpet Bay and dinghied into the beach for dinner at the Ritz with Gail and Jeff.  We had a beautiful dinner (on them, which was so nice!) and a great time with them.  We hugged goodbye, sad to see them go, and headed back to our dinghy.



Tuesday, February 7, 2017

Once again a very rolly anchorage (we knew that going in), and our low battery alarm went off in the middle of the night again.  Aaaarrrrgggghhhh!

During breakfast, we heard that Gail and Jeff's flight was cancelled until Thursday.  Awesome!  Two more days in paradise at their resort for them. Her retirement celebration just keeps going on.

We decided to do something about our battery issue today.  We purchased them on December 5, so they should be fine, and still under warranty.  We called Island Marine Outfitters in Red Hook and Brian, the owner, suggested borrowing their hydrometer and their load tester.  That worked well for us, because we didn't have to take them off of the boat and dinghy them in.  We could test them here, and only transport if needed.

We had homemade burgers and fresh cut fries at the Bar and Still in Redhook with Gail and Jeff (so fun to have them still here), and then went to Island Marine Outfitters to pick up the load test meter and the hydrometer.  After a quick lesson on the hydrometer, we dinghied back to the boat to get started. It is extremely rough here due to the constant ferry traffic roaring in and out so it's kind of dangerous getting on and off the boat from the dinghy.  We are very careful not to get fingers and toes slammed between the two vessels and not to get tipped overboard.  After successfully maneuvering our way into the boat, we began the tedious job of testing every battery and every cell and then putting it all back together again. The cells showed that the batteries needed to be charged, but they were at 100 percent (according to our monitor) when we returned, so they couldn't have been too low (or so we are thought).



Wednesday, February 8, 2017

Today was a work day.  I made up my homemade bread packets (ready for me to add water and yeast), and then we tackled the yucky job of fixing the seawater to toilet hose in our head.  We've been having a slow drip from a hose, but we had to identify which hose it was coming from (and, of course, they were all tie-wrapped together, so that wasn't easy).  With a lot of reaching, straining, and tearing apart, we finally found the guilty hose.  Then, we had to find where it was leaking.  That accomplished, we set about using Magic Wrap tape to wrap around the split hose.  This worked great.  We love it when our hard work pays off.

We celebrated with an easy spaghetti dinner.  

Thursday, February 9, 2017

After a breakfast of poached eggs on toast in my new handy, dandy poacher, we headed out to Soper's Hole, Tortola.  As soon as we got around St. James Island, the wind picked up and the swells were huge.  There was an unobstructed run for  he swells from open ocean to this pass between St. Thomas and St. John. It almost felt like ocean sailing again--not quite, but I was getting wet at the helm from the swells hitting our bow and splashing onto me.

After about two hours, we arrived at Soper's Hole, and couldn't find a mooring ball!  We've never seen it so busy here.  We tried to anchor, but it was very deep and we were swinging into the ferry channel.  We had just tried to find another spot further out to anchor when a boat moved off of a ball right in front of us.  Happy days!  We lifted anchor and scooped up the ball as quickly as possible. The wind was about 20 knots, so it was hard to go slow enough to pick up a ball, but fast enough to keep steerage.  Oh, the joys of Caribbean sailing.

After I completed all of the Customs and Immigration paperwork (again), we dinghied over to the Customs office. Our boat is only allowed to be in the BVIs for a maximum of 30 days per calendar year without paying a $200 'temporary importing' fee.  We'd rather not do that, and certainly want to avoid all of that paperwork, so we are going to make sure that we leave the BVIs for good by March 5.  That may be a few days over, but, after much discussion, they've agreed to be lenient if we make sure to leave by that date.  Okay, fine!

It was after 2:00 by the time we left Customs.  Our next stop was to drop off our laundry to the Divine Laundry lady.  That done, we could finally have some lunch at Pussers.

At 6:30, we met Cameron McColl (owner of Nanny Cay Marina and fellow ARC 2016 rallier) at Scaramouche, a Mediterranean restaurant there in Soper's Hole. Carey and Cameron had large shrimp over homemade pasta, and I had large grilled shrimp. Delicious, but very pricey.  We had a nice visit with Cameron and were back on our boat by 9:00. Just enough time to relax with our books for awhile before bed.


Friday, February 10, 2017

After a lazy breakfast of homemade raisin tea biscuits, we went to Customs to clear out.  The charge this time was 75 cents.  Honestly, I have no idea what they are charging for.  It seems to be different every time we go.  I've given up trying to figure it out. While there, we met another couple (on S/Y Zephyr) who are almost finished their circumnavigation of the globe.  They left home from Seattle in 2009 and will probably be at least another year.  Yikes!  Now, that's an adventure.

We motor-sailed to Benures Bay on Norman Island, where we anchored for the night.



Saturday, February 11, 2017

We left Benures at 10:00, and sailed downwind all the way to Lameshur Bay in winds up to 19 knots in the open water of the Caribbean south of St. John.  It's so much more comfortable sailing down wind and down swells.

We are still having problems with our batteries so we are going to equalize them today in the hopes that this will help.  Fingers crossed.  When the batteries are low, the chart plotter turns itself off.  That's not good, especially when it happens in an anchorage, which usually means tight quarters and rock cliffs nearby,

Lameshur Bay is lovely, as usual.  We saw at least 10 turtles within the first hour.

Totally relaxing day.  Loved it. We sat around, read our books, ate, and chilled.  Surprisingly, we don't do that very often, so this was nice.  For dinner, I made Ruthy's 6-Layer Pressure Cooker Dinner (my own creation).  Carey had seconds, so you know it was good. Haha.

There is a big, bright full moon tonight--so bright that I have a shadow.  A moon shadow.

Sunday, February 12, 2017

After breakfast, we motored for about an hour to Cruz Bay, USVI.  We have to clear in at US Customs and then buy provisions for our first week with Jo and Craig.  We had lunch while we were on land, then completed our chores and returned to the boat.  Around 2:30, we motored over to Christmas Cove.  It was very crowded, so we didn't love our spot, but we stayed anyway.



Monday, February 13, 2017

First thing in the morning, we put the dinghy on the deck in preparation for going to the dock in Red Hook.  We have to go stern in to the dock, so we can't have the dinghy trailing behind.

Once at Red Hook, Carey backed through two spiles to get to our dock, we lassoed the spiles to tie up, and then we spent about an hour trying to get the lines just right.  This is a terrible dock, but it was all we could get.  We need to be on a dock today, because we are buying new batteries to replace our two month old ones.  Aaarrrrgggghhhhh!

We talked to Brian at Island Marine Outfitters and he gave us a credit on the old batteries and we bought new, bigger ones.  I hope these ones last.  Boat batteries just aren't made to survive when you're constantly at anchor or on a mooring ball.  They like it best when tied into shore power on a dock.  Oh, well.

We dragged a cart full of heavy batteries back to the boat and Carey lugged them onboard and down to the aft cabin.  I cleaned the boat in the dark, because I had no lights while Carey was installing our new batteries (and the dinghy was covering the hatches in the vee berth).  Not sure how he accomplished it without the assistance of his favourite apprentice, but he managed well.

Jo and Craig arrived just after 5:00. So nice to see them and to welcome them to R C Wings again!  They'll be staying with us for the next month.  They had been travelling all day and up since 4 am, so they didn't last much longer after our spaghetti dinner and welcome champagne.



Tuesday, February 14, 2017

Jo and Craig took us out for breakfast this morning to Molly Malone's. Very tasty!  Better yet, no dishes.  We took a short walk around he East End before returning to the boat.

Later, we spent hours trying to figure out how to program our Victron battery monitor so that it will properly monitor our new batteries.  Several phone conversations later, we finally got it set up, and we were ready to leave. By this time it was 2:00, and we hadn't eaten lunch yet.  Great hosts!  We starve our guests.  Instead of staying there any longer, we decided to go over to Caneel Bay on St. John, where we picked up a mooring ball and had some munchies to tide us over until dinner.

After our snacks, Craig went for a swim and started scraping some of the algae off the bottom of the boat.  That stuff sticks like glue, so he didn't get very far, but it was a good attempt.

We took the dinghy off the deck and Carey and Craig set it up for later.  Back to towing our tag-along pup.

For our Valentine's Day dinner, we are having sirloin steaks, baked potatoes, and green beans. Yum!

Whirlwind Week

Sunday, January 29, 2017

We went over to the American Yacht Harbor at 4:20 pm, because Gary, the fuel attendant, likes it if we are there early enough for him to deal with us and do his paperwork before 5 o'clock.  Gary's a great guy, so we like to keep him happy!

Jeff and Gail's flight was delayed by about an hour, so Carey and I went to Duffy's Love Shack (a dive bar) for a Painkiller while we waited.  Three dollars for a drink during Happy Hour.  Fabulous!  (Dale Lane has fond memories about Duffy's, so we had to check it out.  Yes, Dale, they still have the 64 oz. Shark's Tank served in a fish bowl.)

Gail and Jeff finally arrived and we motored over to Christmas Cove. By the time we arrived it was very dark, so we turned on the deck light so that Carey could see on the bow.  Gail and Jeff were our lookouts while I motored slowly forward, trying to avoid hitting any other boats.  We dropped anchor and everything went as well as it does in the daylight. First time we ever anchored in the dark.

Once we were anchored, we did our orientation talk, had a barbecued pork chop dinner, showers, and went to bed.  Everyone was tired out.


Monday, January 30, 2017

After a leisurely breakfast of homemade bread, we motored over to Cruz Bay.  We dinghied to the dinghy dock and had lunch at the Ocean Grill and then walked to the Starfish Market for provisions.  We wanted to catch a taxi back, but it was taking forever for the Customer Service lady to contact them.  While I was waiting, a lady in line said, 'You can jump into the back of my truck, if you like.'  After a quick discussion with Gail, Jeff, and Carey, we took her up on her offer.  Apparently, the law is that you need a seatbelt if you're sitting inside the truck, but anyone can sit in the bed of the truck.  Go figure.  As it turns out, she catches wild donkeys and trains them to give people rides, so the truck had some smelly straw in it, but was otherwise perfect for our trip back to the dinghy (although we did have to clutch the sides as she careened around corners).  Awesome, and so nice of her.

Once back at the boat, we quickly put away our provisions.  Then, it was off to Soper's Hole to clear into the BVI Customs. They grilled me this time, because we've been in and out so many times lately. They were sure that we were running a charter company and charging people to sail with us.  Haha.  Nope, just family and friends.  Luckily, they could see that Gail and I were sisters, so that satisfied them...this time.

We returned to the boat for a stir fry dinner.  While we were sitting in the cockpit, enjoying the nice cool breeze, we saw 8-12 large fish (possibly tarpon, as long as Gail's arm) swimming very near our boat, visible in the blue light of the neighbouring catamaran's stern lights.  Very cool.

It wasn't long before we all wandered off to bed.


Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Jeff started our morning right with his raisin bread French Toast.  Delicious!

After breakfast, we sailed to Jost Van Dyke and hiked to the Bubbly Pool where we enjoyed the water cascading through the rocks.  No crowds today, just us.  We stopped at Foxy's Taboo, then dinghied over to the B-Line Beach Bar on Little Jost Van Dyke. (We are an equal opportunity boat, so we like to check out all of the nearby businesses.)

Later, Jeff made a wonderful pasta dinner for us.  As well, we had a beautiful solar system show tonight--Venus, Mars, and the crescent moon formed an isosceles triangle in the western sky.  Venus has been extremely bright for the past few weeks and we've been wondering what it was.  The identity of Carey's "western star" was revealed tonight when Jeff found the article that explained that it was Venus.  Shortly afterward, Gail got the constellations book out and tried to identify some of the many stars in the sky.


Wednesday, February 1, 2017

I wowed Gail with oatmeal for breakfast (but she says it wasn't as good as Mom's).  Yes, she's very saucy.  After breakfast, we all sat down to re-plan our route and stops for the week.  The winds are high and the swells north of Tortola are uncomfortable, so we decided a less challenging (and less bumpy) route.

After Gail and I went snorkelling, we sailed to Soper's Hole on the west end of Tortola.  At Soper's, we dropped our laundry off at the laundry service and went to Pussers for lunch.  Gotta love the laundry ladies.

We had a relaxing afternoon back onboard, and then Carey barbecued steak and I made a salad for a late supper.  Gail made rice pudding for dessert.  It was very tasty (but not as good as Dad's rice pudding).  (Yes, I can be saucy, too.). Haha.


Thursday, February 2, 2017

Gail decided to impress us with her cooking skills, too--blueberry pancakes.  Delicious.  (Can you tell that food is a huge focus on R C Wings this week?). Gail is our fussy eater, but she is enjoying every meal.

After breakfast, we cleared out of the BVIs at Customs and purchased a BVI Parks permit, which allows us to visit any of their park sites (The Baths, The Caves, The Indians, etc.).  There's a lot of paperwork to do every time we clear in or out.

From December to March, the Virgin Islands usually has heavy sailing conditions with winds and seas reflecting the strong blustery trade winds.  On our way from Soper's Hole to Benures Bay on Norman Island we sailed upwind in 17-20 knot winds, which is typical this time of year.  They call these the Christmas winds, even though they last four months.

We arrived at Benures at 1:50, had a late lunch, and jumped in the water.  Snorkelling at Benures is excellent.

Gail and Jeff brought full face mask snorkel gear, so they both tried it out and were pleased with the full view.  We saw three stingrays (the first I've seen down here), three tarpons, three jack fish, and many other beautiful specimens of fish and coral.  We also saw a hermit crab peering out of his borrowed home--a conch shell.  This isn't my photo, but it was just like this.  See his antennae sticking out?

Friday, February 3, 2017

We got up at 8:00 and motored a half mile to the Indians before breakfast. The Indians are a unique formation of four red rocks that shoot out of the water near Pelican Island.  A reef extends between Pelican Island and the Indians which provides excellent snorkelling.  No anchoring is permitted here, but there are ten moorings for day use only.  When we arrived, we couldn't see any available mooring balls.  Just as we were leaving, I spotted one and we picked it up.  Score!  It didn't have a ring on the pennant, but the guys were able to tie us up anyway.

Once we were moored, we had a quick breakfast and then jumped in the water.  This is quite an exposed area, so the wind was blowing and we were bouncing up and down in the waves. The four of us swam to the reef to look around.  Lots of colourful fish and extra large fan coral swaying in the underwater currents.  The yellowtail snappers hung around us as if they were waiting to be fed.

Back on the boat, we sailed downwind to Lameshur Bay on St. John Island.  We didn't notice it at the time, but on our way here, we lost one of the seats from the dinghy.  Aaaarrrrgggghhhh!

Lameshur Bay is one of our favourite spots and within seconds Gail was pointing out the many turtles surfacing for a quick breath and the pelicans diving for lunch.

Gail and Jeff rowed over to the dinghy dock to pay for our night's mooring fee and then Gail and I went snorkelling. Unfortunately, the water was very riled up and cloudy, so we didn't see anything out of the ordinary.

When we got out, I had a quick shower and shortly afterward we realized that we had run out of water. Oopsy! as Gail would say.  We pulled out a couple of jugs of distilled water and will have to make them do for the rest of the evening and tomorrow morning.

We'll stay here tonight and take Gail and Jeff to Nazareth Bay tomorrow where they'll stay in a hotel for a few days of land time. They'll be able to have Hollywood showers there!

This is Gail's first week of retirement and she has totally enjoyed her relaxation time with us.  She has taken 'Boat Hair, Don't Care' to new heights.

Medusa has arrived!


Saturday, February 4, 2017

After breakfast, Gail washed all of th dishes in sea water and stacked them in the sink for a final wash when I get fresh water. we left for Cruz Bay.  We took turns on the helm, but Gail sailed us around the point to get us to Cruz Bay.  She is learning how to work the sails on the boat, even turning us into the wind to furl the main.  Jeff has helped with the anchoring, mooring, and lines (ropes).  We'll miss our crew when they leave!

We had lunch at the Sun Dog Cafe in the pretty Mongoose Junction.  It was so delicious!

When we returned, there was a Canadian ball cap hanging from the stern of our boat.  A fellow Canadian saying hello?  American giving us a found Canadian hat, just in case we know the owner? Who knows.  It was fun to see it, anyway.  We will write RC Wings Canada on it, and pass it along to the next Canadian boat we encounter.

Gail drove us to Red Hook where we waited, hovering, for at least 20 minutes to get on the fuel dock.  Once there, Gail and Jeff jumped off and we filled our water tanks and fuel tank.

Delicious dinner at XO Bistro.


Sunday, February 5, 2017

Red Hook is a very rolly anchorage. The last ferry got us rolling at 11:20 pm last night and the first one this morning was 6 am.  After breakfast, during which we held onto our coffee cups to keep them from tipping every time a ferry went by, we headed over to Nazareth Bay where Gail and Jeff are staying in a hotel.

This is Super Bowl Sunday, so we spent the day poolside and then watched the game at their place